Crape Myrtle January 1, 1970

Crape myrtles thrive in summer heat and perform best when planted in full sun – the brighter, the better. The crape myrtle is a fascinating family of ornamental landscape plants. They come in a wide range of bloom color and the form is equally diverse ranging from tall trees to dwarf shrubs. The great thing about the dwarf varieties is that they can be planted among our perennials and treated like a perennial in our flowerbeds.

Crape myrtles are most notable for the big clusters of papery flowers, but I also appreciate the smooth gray bark, brownish-black fruits and superb autumn color. Often over shadowed by the more brilliant maples and sweet gums, crape myrtles are quite showy in their own right.